LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cody Bellinger hit two homers, Tyler Anderson allowed two hits over seven sparkling innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers completed a statement-making sweep of the revamped San Diego Padres with a 4-0 victory Sunday.
Freddie Freeman had two RBI singles in the major league-leading Dodgers’ eighth consecutive victory and their 30th in 35 games.
The Dodgers’ sweep was also a strong reply to San Diego’s bold moves at the trade deadline to acquire Juan Soto, Josh Bell and Brandon Drury. After largely standing pat at the deadline, Los Angeles coolly opened up a whopping 15 1/2-game lead in the NL West while outscoring the second-place Padres by a combined 20-4 in three victories at Chavez Ravine.
Los Angeles has won 17 of its last 19 meetings with the Padres, who dropped to 1-4 with four consecutive defeats since their new sluggers arrived Wednesday, culminating in only their second shutout loss since May 18. The team sometimes known as Slam Diego also hasn’t homered during its four-game skid, and it managed only two hits in the series finale.
Soto went 0 for 2 with two walks, going hitless for the first time since joining San Diego in one of the biggest trades in baseball history. Soto was entertaining while wearing a microphone for the ESPN broadcast early in the game, but his frustration was evident when he grounded into a double play to end the sixth.
Anderson (13-1) added to his breakout All-Star season by going at least seven innings for the sixth time. He struck out three while mostly baffling the Padres with his off-speed pitches and his control of his 92 mph fastball.
Yu Darvish (10-5) yielded seven hits over six solid innings, striking out five and shutting down the Dodgers except in their two-run third highlighted by Bellinger’s first homer.
Bellinger added a solo shot in the seventh and went 3 for 3 in his 15th career multi-homer game — his second against the Padres this season. Max Muncy and Mookie Betts had two hits apiece for the Dodgers, who rapped out 33 hits in the series.
Anderson plowed through the Padres’ revamped lineup even more effectively than the Dodgers did in the previous two games of the series, allowing just one single and one walk in the first five innings.
Darvish had retired seven straight batters before Bellinger’s shot to left-center in the third. The 2019 NL MVP became the second struggling Dodgers slugger in two days to break out of a slump with a homer, following Muncy’s three-run shot Saturday night.
Freeman drove in Betts in the third and plated Trea Turner in the seventh after Bellinger’s 15th homer of the season.
GOTTA EARN IT
The Dodgers’ pitching staff allowed just one earned run in the three-game series. LA has permitted a major league-low 345 runs this season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: SS Fernando Tatis Jr. got the first game action of his lengthy injury rehab this weekend with Double-A San Antonio. There’s still no official timetable for his return from wrist surgery in March.
Dodgers: RHP Yency Almonte went on the injured list with right elbow tightness after reporting pain while playing catch. He’ll have an MRI on Monday, but he doesn’t believe it’s a serious injury. LA recalled RHP Andre Jackson. … 3B Justin Turner (abdominal strain) is on schedule to return Tuesday, manager Dave Roberts said. … Dodgers relievers Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol will pitch in another simulated game Tuesday. If all goes well, they’ll go on minor league rehab assignments next.
UP NEXT
Padres: Open a four-game home series against NL West rival San Francisco on Monday. Blake Snell (4-5, 4.16 ERA) goes to the mound.
Dodgers: After a day off featuring the return of Clayton Kershaw’s charity ping pong event, Julio Urías (11-6, 2.57 ERA) takes the mound Tuesday to open a two-game interleague series against Minnesota.
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism